Trivia

Some but not all historians say a fashion whim led to the great exploration of the western half of North America. In the 17th century, beaver hats became popular, and prices rose. It paid the trappers to ride out.

By the time beaver fashion faded, trappers and everyone they met upon their return knew the whereabouts of everywhere out west.

Q. Will a Komodo dragon attack a full grown water buffalo?

A. It will. Or any other animal it can find.

Genuine Hungarian goulash is a soup.

Q. What’s “ice wine”?

A. Wine from grapes left on vines until they freeze. The press rejects the ice and accepts the exceedingly rich sweet flavors. A dessert taste, this one.

Consider marauder ants moving along their accustomed route to and from the nest. The inbound usually are burdened, so stay in the center of the trail, presumably because it’s easier to navigate there. So the outbound are forced to the trail’s edge. Naturalists repeatedly see this ant right-of-way pattern.

If a good frying pan should diffuse heat evenly and impart no taste (as some chefs contend), then the best possible frying pan would be made of gold.